Naomi
Simpson
New Tecumseth Public Library
Naomi Simpson has lived, worked and volunteered in New Tecumseth since moving to her farm here more than two decades ago. She combines ancient practices such as yoga, astrology, sound healing and somatic exercises into her work as a relationship and life path coach, guiding women towards meaningful and fulfilling connections.
Naomi is representing You Are the Medicine by Asha Frost. In You Are the Medicine Indigenous Medicine Woman Asha Frost invites readers to follow the path of the 13 Ojibway moons with animal spirits as your guides to unlock powerful teachings that will help you directly experience your own medicine connection to your inherent healing powers. If you feel you don’t have access to your roots, ancestors, or spiritual connection and you look outside of yourself for answers, you are forgetting the medicine you need lives within you.
Marzana
Ahmed Khan
Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library
Marzana, a newcomer to Bradford, works remotely in the nonprofit sector. An avid reader, she loves getting lost in mystery thrillers and discovering new places through travel, especially to sunny destinations. Mar is deeply passionate about supporting women in need within minority communities, a cause close to her heart. In her free time, she enjoys playing board games with friends and family and exploring her creative side through crafting, upcycling, and dabbling in watercolors.
Marzana is representing Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, a fabulous meld of Mexican horror movies and Nazi occultism: a dark thriller about the curse that haunts a legendary lost film–and awakens one woman’s hidden powers.
Mary
Soucie
Severn Township Public Library
Reading is tantamount to breathing for Mary Soucie. She optimizes use of her public library, and all other sources of books in cozy Coldwater. As a multi-book-club member, reading enriches her vocabulary and her world.
Mary’s love of reading was instilled by her parents, and she and her husband Ted have passed on the hobby to their three children and two grandchildren. Although a non-reader, Mary’s large, loving lab, Willow, is her other favourite family member.
In her career at Simcoe Muskoka Family Connexions, Mary supported children and families in Foster Care/ Adoption. Retirement has given Mary time to broaden her reading choices, and she is keen to advocate for others to read her chosen book
Mary is representing The Art of Choosing by Sheena Iyengar, a book which asks the difficult questions about how and why we choose: Is the desire for choice innate or bound by culture? Why do we sometimes choose against our best interests? How much control do we really have over what we choose?
Alexia
Daley
Essa Public Library
Alexia Daley, known as the Singing REALTOR®, has proudly called Simcoe County home for over 25 years. Born and raised in Jamaica, she found joy and inspiration in the library at a young age, sparking a lifelong passion for reading.
As a dedicated REALTOR® and paralegal licensing candidate, Alexia helps clients find their perfect homes or rentals while actively supporting local businesses. Outside of work, she’s a devoted wife and mother who enjoys walking Simcoe’s trails, singing in her church choir, and embracing the peace of nature.
A firm believer in the power of stories to inspire and connect, Alexia is excited to advocate for books that ignite conversation and strengthen community.
Riley
Ma
Innisfil ideaLAB & Library
Riley is a second year Life Sciences student at McMaster University with a keen interest in public health. She is a proud two-time Grand Prize recipient of the Innisfil ideaLAB’s Seepe Walters Short Story Contest. A lover of learning, Riley enjoys exploring a wide range of interests, including music, volleyball, and creative writing.
Riley is representing Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands a graphic novel memoir that follows Kate Beaton’s journey working in the Alberta oil patch. Beaton, who grew up in a small town on Cape Breton Island, travels to the oil sands to pay off student loans. The book explores her experiences working in the oil industry and the impact of this powerful industry on the economy, environment, and people across Canada.
Jennifer
Ellis
Midland Public Library
Jennifer Ellis is the Executive Director of Gateway Centre for Learning, located in Midland. For over 20 years Jennifer has actively promoted awareness of literacy issues and provided learning opportunities for adults in North Simcoe. Jennifer lives in Penetanguishene, where she enjoys walking the waterfront trail with her dog Miko. She also enjoys reading, gardening, cooking, and yoga. She has two children who have learned to fly but visit often.
Jennifer is representing The Bittlemores by Jann Arden. On mean Harp Bittlemore’s blighted farm, hidden away in the Backhills, nothing has gone right for a very long time. Crops don’t grow, the pigs and chickens stay skinny and the three aged dairy cows, Berle, Crilla and Dally, are so desperate they are plotting an escape. The one thing holding them back is the thought of abandoning young Willa, the single bright point in their life. But Willa Bittlemore, just turning 14, is planning her own rebellion.
Gloria
Martin
Ramara Public Library
Gloria grew up in Toronto, married in 1971 and moved to Ramara and farm life in 1974. She worked at Orillia Soldiers Memorial Hospital as a R.N. for 36 years, retiring in 2010. Her main hobby is…you guessed it…reading! It is her path to simple enjoyment (favourite being mysteries or thrillers). Reading also takes her to different geographical settings, as well as a reminder of history.
Gloria is representing The Paris Express by Emma Donoghue. Based on an 1895 disaster that went down in history when it was captured in a series of surreal, extraordinary photographs, The Paris Express is a propulsive novel set on a train packed with a fascinating cast of characters who hail from as close as Brittany and as far as Russia, Ireland, Algeria, Pennsylvania, and Cambodia.
Brett
Glover
Barrie Public Library
Brett is representing Our Crumbling Foundation An urgent and illuminating examination of the unrelenting housing crisis Canadians find ourselves facing, by Balsillie Prize finalist and CBC Radio host Gregor Craigie, Our Crumbling Foundation offers real-life solutions from around the world and hope for new housing innovation in the face of seemingly impossible obstacles.